


Something Like Home

by Claranon



Series: The Princess and the Knight [1]
Category: Dragon Quest Series, Dragon Quest XI
Genre: Drunkenness, F/M, Good lord this ship needs a Western presence, Mild Unresolved Everything Tension, Pre-Relationship, Shippy if you Squint
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-18
Updated: 2018-12-18
Packaged: 2019-09-22 09:06:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,493
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17056880
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Claranon/pseuds/Claranon
Summary: Jade runs into complications getting back to the inn after some enthusiasticSignor Universocelebrations. Luckily a certain ever-faithful knight is there to help.





	Something Like Home

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Flutiebear](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Flutiebear/gifts).



> This is all Flutie's fault for encouraging me. We are an ouroboros of Dragon Quest trash.

The lights and laughter of Gondolia’s pub poured through the doorway as Jade stumbled out onto the dark street. She felt very good, and very full, and _very_ drunk. It was almost like being back on the rolling deck of the Stallion, except without wanting to lose the entire contents of her stomach. (At least, not yet; Jade felt confident that she had upwards of half an hour before _that_ threat would start surfacing.)

Brightly-coloured lanterns dotted the avenues and the sounds of merriment came from all around despite the late hour. Clearly the Gondolians were making up for lost time after last year’s disastrous competition. Jade took a deep breath and closed her eyes, savouring the scent of the sea breeze mingled with the delicious smells wafting from the market.

When she opened them again, her attention was caught by the sight of twinkling lights reflected on the canal waters. She moved forward almost in a daze, eager to get a closer look, leaning over the railing in order to—

“Princess!” Two massive arms grabbed her from behind and hauled her back to solid ground. She swayed for a moment, grasping for and almost missing her bearings, then blinked up at worried green eyes.

“Hendrik? I was only…” She trailed off without knowing how to finish the sentence. The usual connection between _thought_ and _words_ felt disconcertingly out of reach. Jade shook her head and tried again. “What are you doing out here?”

Hendrik’s brow furrowed even further, if that was possible. Jade felt a wild desire to reach out with her fingers and stretch his frown into a smile, but fought it down as he started to speak. “Saving you from an untimely demise, it seems. The inn does not reside in the canals, last I checked.”

“I was getting there,” she protested, gesturing vaguely in what she hoped was the direction of the inn. “It’s just so lovely out here, and bright, and colourful, and lovely, and bright, and I thought...I only meant to...” He was looking at her even more seriously now and she really _was_ going to reach out to fix that frown, damn the consequences—

“You are _drunk_ ,” he said, half-incredulous, half-resigned, and wholly-disapproving. “I knew I should not have left you alone with Sylvando for so long. That man is a terrible influence.”

“You left me alone because you were trying to run away from that group of Gallopitan ladies,” Jade rallied her mental faculties enough to point out. “At least Sylvando knows how to have a good time, unlike _some_ people around here, Sir Hendrik.” Renowned knight of the realm, master and commander of the armies of Heliodor, and general all-around stick-in-the-mud. It amused her at times to tease and poke at all that towering nobility; at others—usually when he was trying to prevent someone, somewhere, from having fun—she felt a powerful urge to hit something. Hard.

Hendrik frowned down at her another moment before his eyes softened and the lines around his mouth relaxed. It was the perfect opportunity to finally create that smile, but Jade let the impulse pass in a burst of generosity. She wasn’t entirely sure she could reach all the way up there in her current state regardless; nobility wasn’t the only thing about Hendrik that towered.

“I suppose there is no real harm in...letting one’s hair down on occasion,” he conceded, and the idea, the very _idea_ of Hendrik ever letting his figurative hair down almost overwhelmed her. She covered it up by deliberately adjusting her gloves as he continued. “But the hour grows late, and it would be best if you were abed before our journey tomorrow. Come, Your Highness—I will escort you.”

Hendrik turned in the opposite direction of where she’d pointed earlier, holding out a hand in invitation for her to lead the way. Jade briefly considered digging her heels in about her nonexistent need for an _escort_ , but that half-hour respite from nausea suddenly seemed a lot less certain, and this felt like one of those rare battles she probably shouldn’t pick. She nodded in what she felt—hoped—was a confident, completely put-together manner, before taking one decisive step and nearly falling flat on her face.

“Princess!” Those arms again, catching her just in time. When had she gotten so used to that after so many years of fighting for herself? Jade firmly pushed a concerned Hendrik away once more as she righted her skirt. The knight was back to looking worried again and she hated to see that familiar tilt to his mouth. Perhaps she could convince Sylvando to trap Hendrik in the pub until he’d gotten a least three drinks in him. No—with his size, better make it five.

Hendrik was altogether oblivious to her plans to obliterate his sobriety as he looked her up and down with pursed lips. It was rather like being sized up as an obstacle on the battlefield and her defensive instincts flared through the haze of alcohol. She was just about to reflexively settle into opening stance, ready to take him on, when he turned and crouched down in front of her. “Here, Your Highness.”

She stared. How drunk _was_ she? “Where?”

“On my back, Princess. I see no other solution for ensuring your safe passage to the inn.”

Jade bit down a hysterical giggle. “Are you...offering me a _piggyback ride_ , Sir Hendrik?”

He half-turned his head to look at her. “‘Insisting on’ is closer, Your Highness.”

She could have argued. She knew there were a whole slew of objections somewhere in her muddled head, dangling just tantalizingly out of reach. They probably included such concepts as ‘I don’t need your—or _anyone’s_ —help’, ‘If any of our friends see they will _never_ let me live it down‘, and ‘I’ve always liked your aftershave and I’m worried I might nuzzle your neck and then have to renounce all claims to the throne and move to Arboria’. Important, serious, life-defining concepts.

She shrugged them away and stepped toward Hendrik. He had his arms out at his sides and gestured her forward after she paused. Despite his comparative lowness to the ground, it was still not unlike contemplating climbing a mountain. A wide, mustard-and-blue-coloured, nice-smelling mountain. Jade tentatively slid one hand over his shoulder and somehow felt very far away as she marvelled at how _solid_ it felt underneath that awful tunic he wore. She eagerly tried the other shoulder too, to the same fascinating result.

“Princess?” Hendrik sounded bemused as he tried to look back at her again, but she shook her head, not even caring if he could see. Right—shoulders. Good. Firm. Now…

She felt leather-gloved hands tug at her knees and obligingly moved closer. Hendrik pulled her onto his back, hefted her slightly to adjust her weight, and then rose in one fluid motion.

“Oh,” she said vaguely at the sudden increase in height, scrambling hands grasping more firmly around his neck. It would have been disorienting at the best of times, and right now Jade was fairly certain she was in the bottom half of times. Bottom quarter, perhaps. “This is very...high. It didn’t used to be this high, did it?”

There was quiet amusement in his voice, suddenly so unnaturally close to her. “It has been nearly twenty years since the last time, Princess. I imagine we have both grown.” Before she could respond, he continued: “Are you secure? Shall we set off?”

“Yes, of course,” she mumbled, experimentally resting her head down on his shoulder. As interesting as she’d found the musculature there, it didn’t exactly make for a comfortable pillow. She adjusted her arms around his neck again as he started walking, apparently not even the slightest bit burdened by her weight.

The lanterns across the canal bobbed up and down as she watched through half-lidded eyes. Jade was in a strange, languid sort of state—not exactly sleepy, definitely content, and very glad she’d taken Hendrik up on his _insistence_ of help. He seemed just as happy to be quiet, concentrating on the task at hand. His back was very warm and it served only to further lull her into a haze of complacency.

It took a few moments, then, for her realize he’d said something. “Hm?” she prompted, shifting her head over to one side. It was a novelty to be able to look at Hendrik from an angle other than ‘very far below’. She idly wondered how long it took him to sculpt his beard when he shaved.

“What manner of problem prompted Veronica to cast that Frizz earlier this evening?” he repeated, grabbing her attention more successfully this time.

“Oh,” Jade replied with a yawn. “Someone was getting a little too aggressive trying to look at the trophy, and you know how she is. The bartender managed to put the fire out fairly quickly, at least.”

“Ah. The Luminary was unhurt?”

Trust Hendrik to think of that first. “Of course; nothing fazes him. I don’t think he even wanted the thing in the first place, but when the saviour of the world shows up at a ‘Greatest Man’ competition—” She attempted a shrug and got about half of the way there before giving it up as a lost cause. Suddenly a devilish impulse overtook her. “It didn’t seem to hurt _your_ popularity, anyway. I think you were occupied with the cake shop servers then?”

She felt his shoulders shift uncomfortably below her. “I...do not recall.”

“Yes, I suppose all those beautiful women flirting with you _do_ start to run together after a while.”

“Princess—” he protested.

“Be quiet, Hendrik. My head’s spinning again.” He fell silent and she returned to her rightful resting place on his tunicked shoulder. Their trek through the dimly-lit streets continued on.

It wasn’t long, however, before her instinctive awareness of other people’s movements prodded her back up to alertness again. Hendrik was pausing slightly every time they came to a recessed doorway or alley. After the third time, she finally raised her head and opened her mouth to ask why, before the realization struck her: he was checking the dark corners for hidden dangers; ever the soldier, Hendrik.

Not one to waste the effort it had taken to both lift head _and_ open mouth, she asked another question instead, the first that came to mind. “Aren’t you worried your grand reputation might suffer if you become known as a common giver of piggyback rides?”

He didn’t miss a beat. (Was the alcohol making his reactions faster, or hers slower? Jade honestly wasn’t sure.) “A sworn knight of Heliodor must be prepared to make any sacrifice for his kingdom, Princess.”

This time she couldn’t bite back her incredulous huff of laughter, accidentally blowing some of his hair in front of his ear. “Was that a _joke_ , Sir Hendrik?”

It was hard to tell from the angle, but Jade was fairly sure she could see a slight smile on Hendrik’s face. Ah, so the fingers weren’t needed after all. “Your Highness is certainly mistaken,” he replied. “Sworn knights of Heliodor do not _have_ a sense of humour.”

“Oh, of course,” she said, smiling herself. “I should have known better.” She was going to continue saying... _something_ , but stopped and frowned at the lock of purple hair she’d disturbed. With both his arms currently securing her legs, clearly it was up to her to right this egregious wrong. She freed one of her hands from its grasp around his neck and carefully tucked the hair back where it belonged, fingertips gently grazing along his upper lobe. “There,” she breathed directly into his ear.

Hendrik stumbled. For one terrifying moment she was sure they were _both_ going to wind up in the canal this time, tragic casualties of what would surely turn out to be the last _Signor Universo_ after her father was through with the place. But then he caught his balance and righted himself, hoisting her firmly onto his back again and taking a deep breath.

“Are you all right?” Jade asked, trying to peer around to look at Hendrik’s face. His eyes appeared to be closed—squeezed shut, even. Was the alcohol somehow contagious? It wasn’t, was it? She was fairly certain—

“Fine,” he gritted out, sounding anything but. She watched him work a muscle in his jaw and then open his eyes again. “A momentary lapse, Your Highness. Let us continue.”

Jade was genuinely mystified, but decided to let the moment pass. She laid her head back down on his shoulder, shifting slightly closer until—ah, _there_ was the faint whiff of aftershave. It was strangely familiar, and made her think of...not Heliodor, exactly, but _home_. Something warm and reassuring that had seemed so far away all those long years on the road.

There was a small crowd of boisterous revelers coming across the bridge and Hendrik stopped to let them pass. One young man noticed them and staggered over, a leering grin plastered on his face. “What’ve we got here? Carrying your lady love off for a bit of fun, eh?” He made a lewd gesture with his fingers and his companions laughed raucously.

Jade immediately felt tension course through Hendrik. One gloved hand flew to the hilt of his sword and the pommel knocked against her knee. She squeezed his shoulder reassuringly; not out of concern for their safety, but for the amount of time and bother they’d have to go through if Hendrik decided to teach these idiots a lesson. It really wasn’t that far the inn now and she was very much starting to see the benefits of this whole _going to bed_ plan. Hendrik twitched his head slightly in her direction but otherwise did not acknowledge her.

“I suggest you move along,” he said to the group, the iron of a true Heliodorian knight in his voice.

“Or what?” the first man sneered, apparently too far gone in drink to recognize his own imminent demise. Jade mentally resigned herself to having to soak her clothes overnight to lift out the bloodstains. She’d had to do it much less often since coming back to Heliodor, but some tricks you never forget.

Hendrik had just drawn himself up to his full—and considerable—height when one of the man’s friends suddenly turned pale and grabbed him by the arm. “Wait, guv—that’s—that’s Sir ‘endrik ‘imself!”

“Cor blimey!” another gasped, and as one the group drew back in fear.

Jade propped her chin up on one hand and watched with mild interest as the first man slowly clued in to the sheer breadth and depth of violence about to descend upon him. He suddenly seemed to remember a pressing engagement elsewhere—possibly on the other side of the continent. The crowd took to their heels behind him and soon the bridge was empty.

“Satisfied?” she asked Hendrik, tilting her head so she could peer at him. The knight was staring after the group, his muscles still bunched up with threat. Jade experimentally squeezed her thighs against his core, wagering that he wouldn’t notice in this state; _also_ very solid, she thought approvingly. But now she was feeling dizzy again and impatient to get going. She rapped her knuckles against a substantial bicep and he started. “Come on, Hendrik. Let them live to run another day.”

“Foolishness.” Hendrik shook his head disapprovingly as he readjusted her on his back and started up the bridge. “I will never understand the lack of discipline that leads to such boorish behaviour.”

“ _I’m_ fairly drunk right now,” Jade pointed out, idly tracing a series of circles on his tunicked chest.

“Your inebriation will not lead you to ill-advised posturing against knights half again your size, I hope.” He seemed almost... _dubious_ about this, however, and she had to mull over whether she had the energy right now to be insulted. Probably not, she decided.

“Well, the night is young,” she said instead, “and I still want a rematch for that last bout we had in Puerto Valor, you know.” From this angle she could see the edge of another slight smile and she rolled her eyes. Trust Hendrik to take joy in reliving the memory of sparring sessions.

They weren’t far from the inn now. It was quieter here, with fewer glaring lights, and Jade felt herself drooping again. Hendrik would soon take her inside, deposit her in bed, and probably go back to the pub to try and make sure everyone _else_ managed to avoid getting themselves into trouble. She wondered if the Gallopitan ladies had given up and found another target of their admiration. Perhaps Erik, if they were into the younger sort.

“Hendrik?” she asked, not sure yet what she even wanted to say.

“Yes, Princess?”

“Why did you never get married?” It wasn’t at all where she’d expected her wandering mind to settle, but suddenly she very much wanted to know the answer.

Hendrik not only missed one beat, but also several more this time. “I...A lack of opportunity, I suppose.” His gloved hands tensed slightly under her knees before relaxing, which she only barely registered in her incredulity.

“Opportunity?” she scoffed, rousing herself enough to try to look at him, but he steadfastly avoided her gaze. She tightened her arms further around his neck, just to emphasize her point. “Those women at the pub were practically throwing themselves at you—as well as _every other_ woman in _every_ town we go to. I don’t think the mighty Sir Hendrik can possibly claim to have no options.”

Jade _felt_ the way he cleared his throat, rumbling through chest to back to the front of her own body, pressed up against him. “Well, I—I speak of my duties to the realm. I have sworn to serve your father to my utmost ability. It leaves little time for...courtship.”

She paused, her fuddled mind sorting through that, and tried again: “But I’m sure my father would—”

“It is precisely the life I have chosen to lead, Your Highness. You need not be concerned for my sake.” His voice was quiet but there was no mistaking the finality of his tone; there would be no use chasing this any further tonight.

His answer was everything she should have expected, but it still left her with a strangely hollow feeling. She wanted to say...something, but words were flitting away again, and this time she didn’t think she’d be able to pull them back.

“Is it always duty, Hendrik?” she sighed. Her head returned to his shoulder, her lashes down to her cheeks; she breathed in his scent, chasing that familiar comfort.

“When it needs to be, Princess,” he said gently; she made no reply.

She only vaguely noticed the shift to firelight and gas lamps when they entered the inn, or the creaking of the wood as he quietly climbed the steps to the second floor. The room was dark but still warm from the banked fire in the hearth. Hendrik carried her to the bed and turned, loosening his grip so she could reluctantly pull her arms off his shoulders and drop to the mattress with a grunt. He busied himself at the sideboard while she unlaced her boots and was bringing back a glass of water by the time she’d tugged the second one off.

“Here,” he said, handing it to her. “It will help forestall what is otherwise likely to be a monumental headache.”

“Speaking from experience, Hendrik?” Jade asked, mustering up a semblance of a smirk as she accepted the cup and drank deeply.

“Some,” he admitted, and her eyes widened. She opened her mouth but he held up a hand before she could speak. “There will be ample time to interrogate me tomorrow, Princess. For now, rest.”

“All right,” she conceded, covering a yawn with her hand. As if his directive had been a well-cast Snooze, suddenly she could hardly keep herself upright. “But don’t think you’re getting out of it that easily.” She gracelessly fell onto the pillow and groaned at how soft and warm and _heavenly_ it felt. She couldn’t find the energy to keep her eyes open any longer, so she felt rather than saw him tug the blanket over top of her. He must have leaned down close, though, because she caught another whiff of aftershave. Something was just beyond her reach here; something she perhaps was not ready to grasp yet.

“I will always depend on you to keep me honest, Princess Jade,” his voice drifted down. “Sleep well.”

Footsteps trailed away from the bed and she heard the click of the door. Jade snuggled further into the pillow, breathing deeply and savouring the echo of his presence. _Home_. It was a good thought—one of the best she could imagine—and she let it carry her off into slumber.


End file.
